Occipital Pain(L)

Have had lower back pain off and on particularly while sleeping seven hours or more. Been doing exercises which has helped to relieve symptoms. Now after swing dancing at the local club I am having occipital pain on the left rear which is excruciating and limits my dancing. I have read Dr. Sarno's book twice and have practiced his suggestions with limited effects. BTW I am 72 years old but wish to further my enjoyment of dancing and other social activities. I am a Type A personality and a successful professional. Guess I fall into the doctors category. Please advise!

 

I've had tingling in my greater occiptal , a nerve that runs across the skull. it was quite unsettling but went away after I adopted Sarnos methods.

I would recommend getting the audiobook or seeing/speaking to a TMS therapist. the big thing that held me back was just reading TMS book and thinking of Sarno as almost a cartoon character and not an acutal person if that makes sense? if you meet/speak with an actual qualified Doctor who has TMS awareness then it really reinforces the diagnosis(if that is indeed correct for your specific case).

 

Hi, TFS Spaniel. IrishSceptic gives good advice, to contact a TMS therapist, if you can. And keep dancing! It's great exercise and makes you feel good.
Steve Ozanich says in his book THE GREAT PAIN DECEPTION that he kept on playing golf despite the pain and it helped him heal, along with discovering his repressed anger.

I'm 85 and healed two years ago from severe back pain by journaling in the Structured Educational Program and learned that I had been repressing years of anger and feelings of insecurity going back to my parents having divorced when I was seven years old. So TMS does work, even for us elder citizens.

Meanwhile, I think you need a strong dose of belief in TMS. Here's one from one of our TMSwiki members who is a beacon of hope for everyone.

nowtimecoach Well known member
New

Oh its been so long since I've visited all of you wonderful people - the healed and the healing folks. My life is forever changed as a result of this forum, the books that were suggested, read and discussed and the opportunities to receive support from so many people on the TMS recovery path.

Am I 100% recovered? Not quite but when I have a flare up, its usually been a situation or circumstance that is extremely stressful. Usually a feeling of being trapped and out of control. It depends upon my acceptance of what is and a surrender to self-care that predicates how long the flare up will last. I've had a few instances in the last 2 months as my partner and I decided to sell her house and move to Tucson.

So many changes, deadlines, pressure and lots of "I don't know!" brought up a few bouts. But they rarely last more than a day or two. And because I practiced what everyone suggests on this forum, I always knew what to do and I didn't ruminate or worry that it was going to last long.

I am so eternally grateful to all of you. I am grateful to everyone who has written a book that gives us the solution, the hope and hammers in the fact that we have control over TMS. To all of you in pain today, I promise that you will get better if you keep accepting the psychological component to all of this. I remind myself if I have a flare up that I'm vulnerable to old habits. That vulnerability leaves me open for my brain to pop up its old directive to send pain to my back. Its just an old outdated mechanism of protection that still does not serve me very well.

I hope you read this as a message of hope. Never stop believing that you are going get better! Stay close to the wonderful people on this forum. Read the books. Do the work and you'll be rewarded with a pain free life. For me, I got the bigger bonus of a greater self-awareness, of patterns that I was blind to and a sense of empowerment. All this because of TMS. So it ended up being a gift. Of course, I would NOT be able to say this so cavalierly if I was still in pain 24/7!!!

 

Thanks for all the advice! I only first read the book a couple of weeks ago recommended by my son who had surgery for a herniated disc and still had pain. He says the book has alleviated his pain and has continued his 5K running. I realized that it helped my back pain almost immediately but I guess the pain switched to my neck(occipital) area like Sarno says can happen. I guess I have gotten a bit discouraged because the pain is so bad I cannot turn my head when dancing but I won't give up.

At my semi-retired age I am very happy with little or no stress. Only three things stand out in my life to be unproductive: not making the little league team, not be accepted to the professional school of my choice and the breakup of my first love. I have been happily married for 47 years to a lovely woman who has supported me through colon cancer and cyclothymic illness. Maybe my suppressed emotions know of many others?

Your(pl.) advice to seek a TMS therapist probably is the way to go. Any in Kentucky that you know of?